novelhk Chapter 188
Chapter 188
July 13th, 5:00 AM.
When Lin Feng opened his eyes, the light coming through the gap in the curtains was a bit brighter than the previous two days—summer in the provincial capital comes early and goes late, and the sky at five o'clock was already dimly lit, grayish-blue, like an old cloth that had been washed many times.
He didn't get up immediately. He lay there, staring at the ceiling, listening to Gao Yuan's snoring from the next bed. Today was different—the snoring was softer than usual, the rhythm was more erratic, and there were several pauses, as if the sleeping person was subconsciously thinking about something.
Lin Feng sat up. Chen Hao was no longer in bed—his blankets were folded neatly, his pillow was on top of them, and his "New Concept English" book wasn't on the bedside table. The curtains were slightly ajar, about two fingers wider than yesterday.
He put on his clothes, picked up the ball, and walked out of the dormitory.
The motion-activated lights in the corridor came on. I went downstairs and out the main gate. The courtyard smelled of dew, and locust blossoms had fallen to the ground in the night breeze, their white petals carpeting the cement like a thin layer of frost. An early-rising sanitation worker was sweeping the courtyard, the bamboo broom making a swishing sound as it swept across the ground.
The window behind the basketball court was slightly ajar.
Chen Hao had already gone in, and the sound of the ball on the ground came from inside—thump, thump, thump, the rhythm was very steady.
Lin Feng pushed open the door and climbed in through the window.
Chen Hao stood beyond the three-point line, shooting. Today, his shots were slower than usual—the release height was a little lower, the arc a little flatter, but the ball still went in, swishing through the net every time. He was like a perfectly tuned machine, every movement precise to the millimeter.
Gao Yuan then climbed in through the window. He didn't complain or make any jokes today. After entering, he went straight to the weight room to start warming up. His movements were faster and more forceful than usual. When he put the dumbbells down, they hit the rubber mat with a dull thud.
None of the three spoke.
Morning light streamed in through the high window, casting rectangular patches of light on the floor. The sounds of a basketball bouncing and dumbbells hitting the ground mingled together, like a song without melody, only rhythm and weight.
At 6:30, the three people climbed out of the window.
When he reached the cafeteria entrance, Gao Yuan stopped and retied his shoelaces. He squatted down, grabbed the ends of the shoelaces, and pulled hard, leaving a deep mark.
"Lin Feng".
Lin Feng stopped.
Gao Yuan stood up and dusted off his hands. "I'm not waterproofing today."
Lin Feng looked at him.
Gao Yuan said, "The White Team discussed it this morning and will focus on defending you today. Liu Yang said they won't let you score easily. Sun Hao also said the inside players will help defend."
Lin Feng remained silent for two seconds.
"I understand," he said.
Gaoyuan glanced at him, opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately didn't.
The three people entered the cafeteria.
The atmosphere at the breakfast table was different from the previous days. The team members sat together eating, but spoke less than usual, and the sound of chopsticks clattering against bowls was louder than usual. Someone glanced up at Lin Feng, then looked down again to continue drinking their porridge. That gaze wasn't hostile, nor was it scrutinizing; it was a quiet waiting—like an audience member waiting to see the next scene of a play.
Sun Hao sat by the window, peeling a boiled egg. His fingers were thick, but he peeled the eggshell very gently, the shell peeling off piece by piece to reveal the tender white egg white underneath.